Senior Tennis and Fitness

Well against The World #1 Fred Drilling today, I played very, very well!

My memory – and all the local experts – said I should try to avoid his penetrating forehand and attack the ball as much as possible, going to his backhand. My serve was strong, with probably an 80% in rate and zero double faults. My groundstrokes were strong and as forceful as I could muster.

Fred started serving the match with a love game; and followed by breaking my serve (with me getting just one point). But in the third game, I had a break point and knew he would serve deep to my backhand. Indicative of how it went today, he did serve there and I hit a very nice backhand slice return down the line and right in the deuce court corner. He coasted along the baseline and drove his forehand deep, crosscourt and right into the opposite corner for a winner.

He then held serve. In the fourth game, I had two adds to hold my serve; got two good first serves deep to his backhand, didn’t miss a shot, and didn’t win either point!

In the fifth game, I was finally able to convert a break point to break his serve and cross over at 1-4. He broke and held to take the first set 6-1.

I was still very relaxed and had as an objective to do better than our previous two meetings a couple of years back (when he beat me 2 and 1 both times).

In the first game of the second set, I served a love game! He held and then broke me. But after he held, then I served another love game to bring it to his serving 3-2.

He held and then I served another good game (I WAS serving very well) to change sides with Fred serving 4-3. I sensed a slight pause on his part as I went up love – 30 in his next service game.

But being the champion that he is, he raised his game to hold and then break my serve for the match.

According to my young friend and Tuesday singles opponent Marc Vandam: I played great. So what does that tell you about how good Fred is?

After the match, I asked him what he would suggest for my game and he said, “Stop hitting that big topspin forehand inside the side lines … I can’t get to it!” But he did seriously advise me to vary my backhand more to hit more slice backhands that would skid and stay lower than the topspin/flat ones I was hitting. The funny thing is I ONLY had a slice backhand up until a few years ago; so I need to add it back into my game more.

P.S. This report is coming to you from the outdoor patio of the tennis club, where I am waiting to play our first round doubles match this afternoon at 3:30 p.m. more to come.